OverTheHorizon

I can only re-iterate:

(pleasantly) "No, thank you"

(puts on noise canceling headphones and sits back smiling, perhaps tapping along to a jaunty tune...)

simons1

I really don't see the point in risking a confrontation by playing a silly charade or making smart arse comments.

They ask, you say no, that's all that is required.

origin

You dont need to engage its public transport not social transport.

Badenoch

It does depend on the person and I'm the type of person not terribly troubled at the prospect of shooing away a pest with blunt language. At some point during the exchange I may be hitting the call button and the imbecile aggressively pressing me to swap after I've politely told him no can explain himself. It also depends on how he/she asks but in situations similar to yours I've gone from courteous to nasty in record time without serious consequences.

LTN Phobia

Another possibility:

"Oh... you are both Gold card holders? I'm so sorry to hear that."

Two possible outcomes:
1) They decide you are deranged and won't bother you again
2) They ask you why, and you tell them that you would have considered it for a Premier but not a Gold card holder (if you are a GGL, then consider whether you wish to unleash your inner DYKWIA by saying you are a Gold Guest List). They probably won't bother you again either.



In reality, what happens with me is that I go to sleep so rapidly once seated that they won't even get an opportunity to approach me.

Strawb

Flying back from NRT I had seat 28K, the front row bulkhead window seat in Y on the B777. Already seated behind me in 29H (unlimited legroom aisle seat) was a young student-type guy. On board comes a couple and they are seated behind me in 29J/K next to this guy. They stand in the aisle blocking those still boarding. The woman huffs and puffs and mutters something like she booked an aisle seat and clearly was not happy with a middle seat while the guy next to her had unlimited legroom.

After a discussion with the cabin crew in which she insisted on having an aisle seat as she had a bad leg and needed easy access out of her seat the cabin crew waited until boarding was complete before asking the occupant of 29H to give up his seat for another aisle seat in the middle a few rows back. Being Japanese he immediately obliged and nodded his head (like they do in Japan). I thought to myself, well that was too easy! The couple now have an entire row to themselves, him in the window and her in the aisle with plenty of space for her bad leg.

During the flight, after the initial lunch service, this woman decided to use the armrest of 28J, which was the vacant seat next to me, as a footrest. I immediately turned round and told her, in a firm tone, that it is very rude to put her feet on the armrest. She looked a little taken aback as I was glaring at her - I wanted to show I had authority first. She replied her leg was not good. I told her again even more firmly that it is rude to put her feet up like that. Suffice to say she didn't use 28J for her foot again for the duration of the flight. Had she not taken her foot down or caused a fuss I would not have hesitated to call the cabin crew to intervene. Who likes to have someone's foot less than a metre away from their nose? Not me.
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